Variable-speed driving mechanism.



PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

R. M. RUGK. VARIABLE SPEED DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1U.1907.

35 l will, atthe proper moment, and by a move- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RIOHARDMATTHEWS BUCK, OF LONDON. ENGLAND.

' VARIABLE-SPEED DRIVING-MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Riemann MATTHEWS RUGK, asubject of the King of Great Britain,

F stitute what may be termed a toothed cone,

and the relative angular position of the several rings being such that a straight row of teeth (or of intervals between two adjacent teeth in each ring) extends from end to end of the cone, with the result that the pinion may be caused to pass into gear with successive rings by being shifted along its shaft'in either direction through a distance equal to the width of one ring of teeth each time the straight row of teeth is brought, by the revo' lution of the cone, into the common plane of the axes of the cone and pinion (for the sake of convenience this plane will hereinafter be termed the transfer plane).

1 The object of the present invention is to provide means for enabling the shifting of the pinion in the manner described, to be effected mechanically in either direction at ment of the pro er amplitude under the control of a single and lever.

In the accompan 'ng drawings F i ure 1 shows the improve 'variablespeed riving mechanism viewed in a direction at right angles to the transfer plane", portions being omitted for the sake of clear-ness, and the pinion bein in process of being shifted along the cone. ig. 2 is a side view looking in the direction of the arrows 2-' 2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3'of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrows 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Similar reference letters and numerals indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The one member of the variable-speed I driving mechanism. is a toothed pinion A which is splined .upon a shaft a journaled in bearings 1, 1 the other member being a toothed cone P: composed of a series of rings Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 10, 1907. Serial No. 588,0?7.

' the slide alon Patented March 24, 1908.

" B 13 B etc. fixed side by side upon a shaft b journaled in bearings 2, 2. Successive rings of the series have progressively varying numbers of teeth all of equal pitch with those of the pinion A (the difference in number of teeth between each two adjacent rings'being constant throughout the series), and the relative angular position of the sev "eral rings is such that a straight row of teeth -(or of 1ntervals betweentwo adjacent teeth in each ring) is presented from end to end of the cone. The axis of the pinion shaft a lies in the same plane as that of the shaft 6 and extends parallel to the pitch surface of the .cone B at such a distance therefrom as to enable the pinion A to gear with any one of the rings B B B etc. indifferently, the speed ratio at which motion is transmitted between the shafts a and I) being dependent upon the position of the pinion lengthwise of the cone.

The shifting of the pinion A along the cone B, so as to varytheratio of the gear as reuired, is effected through the medium of a s ide C movable upon a guide D extending parallel to the pinion shaft on, the slide C having a fork a whic engages between a pair of collars provided on the boss of the pinion sopthat the atter will participate in any movement of the guide D in either direction. Now, since e transference of the inion from engagement with any one ring 0 teeth to engagement with either of the adjacent rings of teeth of the cone B can only take place when the straight row of teeth on .the cone is in, or passing through, the transfer lane (indicated-by the line a -r in Fig. 3) it is evident that while the cone is rotating, it be required to shift the pinion further than to either of those rings of teeth next to the one with which'it-is already in gear, such shifting movement must not be continuous but must be performed stepby-ste in time with the revolutions of the cone, tie pinioninion A from full engagement with one to ull engagement with the next ring of teeth on the cone has been accomplished. The

'thedistancc apartof successive studs being 6 L151]; to theqwidths of .the several rings. T e dru'n i ll' is driven at an angular velocity corresponding to that of the cone l3, so that each time the studs F are passing through a certain angular position the straight row of teeth on the cone B will also be passing through the transfer plane the number of revolutions performed by the conein a given time being made either equal to, or a multiple or sub-multiple of, those performed bythe drum E in the same time.

The slide C has an arm G through suitable sockets in which a pair of cams H H are fitted to slide in a direction radially of the drum E, these cams, which are ada ted to be brought into the path of the stu( s F when required, being normally retracted clear of the drum and its studs by means of springs as at h. The cams H H which are of reverse configuration relatively to one another, are of such effective length and of such oblique form with reference to the path of the studs F that when either of the cams is brought into position to be encountered by the studs, one of the latter will, during the requisite portion of the revolution of the drum E, operate upon the' cam so as to produce a movement of the slide 0 and pinion A equal to the width of one ring of teeth on the cone B, this movement taking place while the straight row of teeth on the cone is passing through the transfer plane w':r.

The bringing of either of the cams H H alternatively into operative position is effected b means of a wide b'ar J which extends para lel to the guide D and is mounted on end trunnions or gudgeons j, journaled in bearings'6, 6 so as to be capable of oscillating about its own longitudinal axis. The cams H 11 are respectively provided with rearward extensions 12- W such that on the presserebar J being canted in the one direction or the other about its lon saidbar wil contact with the. cam-extension h or h and will force the cam H or H into operative position a .ainst the stress of its spring h. Hence, w en the row of studs 1* also comes into operative position, that earn which now standslin the path of one of the studs will be struck by the latter and wiil transmit to the slide 0 and pinion A movement to the extent of one step. {length wise of the cone B) in the direct1oni;'frre'-* sponding to the cam H or H which was ac- It will be observed that the cam H is adapted to produce movement of the pintuated.

itudinal axis, the edge 7' or 7'? ofion A in the direction from the smaller to the larger end of the cone B, while the cam H is adapted to cause movement of the pinion in the opposite direction.

The presserbar J normally occupies a neutral position wherein both of the cams H H are out of operation, and is oscillated about its axis in either direction as required. by means of a three-armed lever fast on one of the gudgeons y', one arm K of this lever being coupled to any convenient handle whereby it may be moved in either direction. The other arms K K of the lever extend at opposite sides of the drum shaft e so as to straddle a disk having a pair of flanges L L thereon, eacharm being adapted to move partly across and just clear of one ofthe anges of the disk. From the one side of the one arm K and from the opposite side of the other K project pallets 7C1 k 'parallel to the shaft 6, the pallet k carried by the arm K intersecting the flange L while the pallet k carried by the arm K int-.rsects the llange L and the paths of both pallets being approximately radial with reference to the axis of the shaft e.

During that portion. of a'revolution of the drum E wherein the studs F are capable of engaging either of the cams H H the oscillation of the presser-barJ about its axis in either direction is prevented by the contact of the pallets it" [c with the said flanges, but when in the revolution of the drum E the 'studsF are out of operative position, the

mouths of annular grooves h 1 M1 formed on the faces of the disk and opening out at diametrically opposite parts of the periphery of the latter, are brought into registrationv with the pallets k 76* so as to afford a passage for the latter, with the result that the lever ,arm K may then be actuated so as to rock the presser-bar in whichever direction may be re uired. Moreover, after ,the pallet 76 'or k as entered the groove M or M the mouth of the groove Will be carried round out of registration with the pallet, which will thus be imprisoned in the groove, with'the result that the bar J cannot be returned to neutral position until that one of the row of studs F which has meanwhile been operating upon'the cam H or- H has completed its Work of causing the, pinion A to be shifted one step along the cone B.

In order to-prevent the pinion A being shifted accidentally (i. 6. otherwise than bymeans of the cam H or H the boss of the pinion may carrya spring-pressed 'umper N adapted, when the pinion A is fu y in gear with any ring of teeth on the cone B, to engage inoneof a row of V-shapednotches n provided on the shaft a; the spring permit-* ting the jumper to yield under the pressure transmitted .to the pinion from either of the cams H H but at all other times causing the? jumper to lock the pinion accurately in geaswith that rin of teeth into engagement with which it was ast moved.

It will be obvious that the jumper mi ht be mounted on the slide and engage wit a rings having pro ressively varying numbers of gear teeth an fixed side by side upon a common axisso that a straightrow of teeth extends j from end to end of the cone, a

toothed pinion movable in the direction of its own'axis so as to be capablelof gearing with any one of the toothed rings alternatively, a drum mounted to rotate about an axis parallel to that of the pinion at an angular velocity corresponding to that of the cone and carrying a row of studs corresponding in number anddistance apart to the number and width of the individual toothed rings of the cone; a slide -movable parallel to the axis of the pinion and adapted to shift the pinion lengthwise of the cone; cams carried by the slide and respectively adapted to be brought into position to coact with the studs so as to shift the pinion in one or the other direction and means for moving either of the camsinto and out of said position atthe proper moments with reference to the bringing of the straight row of teeth on the cone into the common plane of the axes of the cone and pinion.

2. In variable-speed driving mechanism the combination of a toothed cone, a toothed pinion gearing with the cone, a drum provided with studs, a slide adapted tomove parallel tothe axis of the pinion; cams mounted side by side so as to be movable radiall of the drum carrying the studs and 40 norma ly, held out of engagement with the slide; a presser bar mounted to rock about its longitudinal axis, which is parallel to that of the drum, so as to act alternatively on the respective cams; and means for preventing the rocking of .the bar so as to bring either of the cams t-o operative position or itsreturn, when rocked, to neutral position so as, to permit the retraction of the operative cam, excepting at the proper moments with reference tothe bringing of the straight row of teeth on the cone into the common plane of the axes of the cone and pinion, substan tially as described.

3. In variable-speed driving mechanism,

a. drum provided with studs, cams mounted sideby side so as to be movable radially of the drum, a presser bar, and means for controllingthe same, comprising a disk having flanges, a lever having pallets and oscillating as one with the bar but normallyprevented from thus moving by the contact of the pallets with the flanges of the disk which rotates as one with the drum, and has each face provided with an annular groove which open out 5 at the peripher of the disk so as to give passage to thepal ets when the row of studs on the drum is not in position to act upon the cams, substantially as described.

London Jul twenty-third 1907.

, 'RIGHKRD MATTHEWS RUCK. Witnesses:

A. MAXWELL CLARK,

M. SPIER. 

